Sugar-refining device



Nov, 11, 1924: 1",51 5.4s1 P. )HERNANDEZ' SUGAR REFINING DEVICE Filed Ma '16. 1925' s Sh eetS -Sheet 1 ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Herflandez INVENTOR NOV-{'11} 4 P. HERNA DE SUGAR REFINING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet" 2 Filed May 16. 1923 INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

P. HERNANDEZ SUGAR REFINING DEVICE Nov. 11, .1924. 1,515.481

Filed May 16. 1923 ssheew-sheet 8 B H1 7210 INVENTOR Al IORNEY WITNESS:

PASCUAL HERNANDEZ, or CAMAGUEY, cuss.

i SU GAR-EEFINING DEVICE.

Application filed May 16, 1923.

To all whom it may concern Be it known t'hatI, P'AsoUAL HERNANDEZ, a citizen of the Republic of Cuba, residing at Camaguey, Cuba, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sugar-Refining Devices, of which the following is a specifica-- tion.

The present invention relates toan improvement in devices for purifying raw sugar by mixing the raw sugar with a liquid capable of dissolving some of the impurities therefrom, and thereafter separating the liquid and impurities from the sugar and discharging the liquid and the sugar separately. The apparatus consists essentially of a perforated rotary cylinder contained within a stationary casing, said perforated cylinder also being provided witha feed screw by which the solid material is forced along from the inlet end to the dis charge end, the inlet end being provided with inlets for sugar and purifying liquid, and also being provided with a mixing device by which the sugar and the liquid are thoroughly mixed and conveyed into the rotary perforated cylinder. The device also contains means for applying power to the several elements and for rotating the per forated cylinder and for rotating the feed screw therein, at a difl e'rent' speed of rotation.

Referring to the annexed drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1, is a longitudinal vertical section, partly in clevation, of the entire device. Fig. 2, is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3, is a vertical section on the line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrow. In this figure, the parts are shown in the relation which they have when the entire device is stationary. Fig. 4, is a view of the same parts shown in Fig. 3, this view showing the relation of the parts when the parts are in motion. Fig. 5, is a section on the line 55 of Figure 1, showing the sugar discharge portion of the device. The device will be described, commencing with the feed inlet for the materials.

11 is a hopper through which crude sugar to be refined is fed into the device while an appropriate cleansing liquid (which may be molasses or syrup) is fed in through pipe 12, both in regulated amounts, depending upon the quality of the raw sugar. The feed screw 13 in spout 14 feeds this mixture Serial No. 639,425.

along and makes the same feed the same toward the left in Figure 1, and discharging the same into the space between plate 15 and plate 16. Plate 15, is one element of a regulating device, th'is 'being more clearly shown in Fig. 2. 16 is the'end of the perforated rotary drun. Coacting' with the plate 15, is another plate 17, which is provided with an opening of somewhatsector shape, and

by turning one of these plates relatively to the other an opening. 18, may be made of any desired size, not larger than the open ing in one of the plates. By adjusting the plates to partly close the opening. 18, the feed of sugar to the drum will be held back more, and when the opening is made larger the feed of sugar will be made more free, whereby angularly adjusting these plates relatively to each other serves to regulate the feed of sugar into the main compartment of the drum. The plate 15 is rigidly mounted on shaft 19 upon which is also loosely mounted the-plate lZ. These two are locked together in adesired location relative to each other, by means of a nut 20 and a bolt or stud 21, the latterbeing rigidly attached to plate 17 and working in the circular slot 22 in plate 15. Suitably attached to the shaft 19, is a triangular shaft 24, which rotates therewith and which carries mounted there upon, three pl'ates25 to each of which is at tached a plurality of plates 26, these plates 26 forming the parts of the feed screw by which the material is advanced through the rotary perforated cylinder 26- are accordingly set at aslight angle to the plates 25, instead of. being exactly perpendicular thereto. The screws27 and also the screws 28 are tightly screwed into the triangular shaft 24, passing loosely through holes in'plat'es and are locked in place on the triangular shaft 24. The screw 27, determines the greatest amount which the plates 25 can move away from the triangular shaft 24, and the plates 28 are provided with compression springs 29 for forcing the plates 25 down against the triangular shaft 24, when the said shaft is not in rapid rot-ation. When the shaft is in rapid rotation the centrifugal force separates the plates 25 from the three sides of the triangular shaft, thereby allowing the extreme edges of plates 26, to just touch against the perforated or cloth lining 30, of the perforated cylinder 27 which cloth surface has a filter- .ing medium for allowing the liquid to pass 27. The plates outwardly by centrifugal force, while retaining the solid sugar. The screw rotating at a somewhat greater speed than the perforated cylinder 27 the sugar is fed along toward the left in Figure 1, and over the dam or annular plate 31, from which it falls out through the discharge spout 32 into a suitable wagon for carrying the same away for further treatment.

As above stated the shaft 19, and the tri angular shaft 2e are locked together. Attached to the left hand end of shaft 19 is a gear 33, which meshes with another gear 34, rigidly mounted on a jack shaft 35, to which is also rigidly mounted another gear 36, which meshes with a gear 37 which is keyed upon a sleeve 38 in the discharge compartment, this sleeve 38 carries a plurality of plates 39 which are rigidly attached to the perforated cylinder 27 The gear 33, may have 91 teeth, the gear 34: may have 92 teeth, the gear 36 may have 91 teeth, and the gear 37 may have 92 teeth, whereby the sleeve 38 will rotate somewhat more slowly than the shaft 19, and hence the rotary cylinder 27 will rotate somewhat more slowly than the feed screw composed of plates 26, whereby the solid material is fed toward the left in Figure 1.

Surrounding the rotary perforated cylinder 27 is a stationary housing, preferably of cylindrical shape 40, which is supported by legs 411, in any suitable manner, and which is provided with an outlet pipe 42 for leading away the molasses after the same has been separated from the sugar. At 43 an annular dam is provided for prevent ing any of the molasses from flowing out through the spout 32, with the refined sugar. Power may be applied by means of a belt on pulley 44 to shaft 19, which passes through a suitable gland 4:5. 4:6 and 4&7 illustrate roller bearings between the rotary drum and the other parts.

It will be understood that the speed of rotation of the perforated rotary cylinder 27 must be sufficient to throw out the molasses through the fabric and perforated container by centrifugal force, and the speed of rotation of the rotary shaft 24 must be sufficient for the centrifugal force acting on the plates 26, to pull those as far away as possible from the triangular shaft wher by the edges of the plates 26 just touch the fabric line 30 of the cylinder 27.

I have above referred to the respective numbers of teeth in gears 33, 34, 36 and 37 as, 91, 92, 91, 92 respectively. For producing a greater difference of speed, these may be 91, 93, 92, 93 respectively, or for producing an even greater difference, these may be 91, 93, 91, 93 respectively. It will be understood that the shaft 19, and asso ciated parts will be mounted on suitable supports 50, and suitable bearings will be provided therein for the shafts 19 and 35.

I claim:

1. A device suitable for purifying sugar which comprises a horizontally arranged centrifugal perforated drum, a casing surrounding the same, a screw conveyor carried within said drum adapted to move the sugar from the inlet end of the drum towards the outlet end thereof, said screw comprising a multiplicity of inclined blade sections mounted on plates which plates form a casing, polygonal in cross section, surrounding a central shaft in said drum, said plates being movable a predetermined distance away from said central shaft and means for limiting the amount of such movement; means for feeding a mixture of crude sugar and purifying liquid in predetermined amounts into said drum at the inlet end thereof; a liquid outlet for removing used purifying liquid from the casing, and a device at the outlet end of said drum adapted to discharge sugar from the perforated drum to the outside of said casing.

2. A device covered in claim 1 in which the central shaft of said feeding screw is triangular in cross section and in which three of said longitudinal plates each car rying said sector-shaped blades of the said feeding screw are provided, and springs carried by the means connecting said plates to said shaft for moving the plates toward said triangular shaft when rotation ceases.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PASCUAL HERNANDEZ. 

